Shade roller fixture



Sept. 12, 1939. w F SMITH 2,172,459

SHADE ROLLER FIXTURE I Filed April 6, 1 938 Mwonmzvs,

Patented Sept. 12, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIeE '7 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in shade rollerfixtures, and has particular relation to improvements in the type ofshade rollers wherein the roller does not include r. any spring, theconstruction being such that as the shade is drawn down rotation of theroller is frictionally resisted and a string, strap or the like is woundon a pulley or drum connected to the roller whereby on such string,strap or the a like being pulled to unwind it the shade is wound on toits roller, and also when said roller is so rotated by the string toraise the shade this frictional resistance is automatically and entirelyreleased.

15 An object of the invention is to provide a shade roller fixtureincluding means for frictioning the rotation of the shade roller as thelatter is rotated in a direction to unwind or lower a shade carriedthereby and for releasing .said friction 20 as the roller is rotated ina direction to wind the shade thereon, in which such means is free ofsprings and the like whereby to have long useful life.

Other objects and advantages Will become ap- 25 parent from aconsideration of the following detailed description taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawing wherein a satisfactory embodiment of theinvention is shown. However, it is to be understood that the invention30 is not limited to the details disclosed but includes all suchvariations and modifications as fall withthe scope of the invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view showing a shade 35 roller in its fixturesin a window casing;

Fig. 2 is a central sectional view on an enlarged scale showing the endsof the roller and the end supporting fixtures;

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the right hand 40 fixture from thecasing engaging side thereof;

Fig. 4 is a view of the left hand fixture of Fig. l the back or casingengaging plate thereof being removed as along the line 44 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 45 55 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but showing the frictioning means ina released position; and

Fig. '7 is an elevational view With a part broken away, and taken aslooking into the inner end 50 of the left hand bracket or fixture.

Briefly the invention comprises a complete improved arrangement of shaderoller supports in which the controlling mechanism is so constructed andarranged that when a roller is in position it 55 will be frictionallyheld against being rotated by the downhanging portion of the shade andits appurtenances, and in which this friction is automatically andentirely released when a cord attached to a pulley or spool of thedevice is pulled to rotate the roller in a direction to raise the 5shade, and the operators pull will, therefore, have to overcome only thedownhanging weight of the shade, instead of both this weight and thefriction generally found in devices of this character. 10

Referring in detail to the drawing the shade roller [0 comprises a plaincylindrical body preferably of wood to which the upper end of the shadematerial l l is secured as by tacks, staples, or the like. A trunnionpin has its shank i2 driven into the right hand end of the roller l0 andthe exposed end l3 of this pin is received in the slot M of the bracketor fixture l5. In the other or' left hand end of the roller is a pin ithaving an end portion ll preferably rectangular in cross section so asto have a driving fit in a similarly shaped opening I8 in the face I9 ofa pulley unit (see Fig. '7), to be described, so that the roller and thepulley unit are connected to rotate together.

The mentioned pulley unit in its preferred form comprises a pair ofsimilar flanges 20 and 2! whose hub portions are press-fitted on to acentral cup-shaped shell 22 having in its portion [9 the opening l8above referred to, and having its barrel portion journaled on a hub 23formed on a base plate 24 constituting the means whereby the entire lefthand fixture may be secured to the window casing, as by passingfastening means such for example as screws 25 through the perforations26 in the plate. The pulley unit is free to rotate in either directionon the hub 23, and the roller 10 being attached to the unit through theend I! of the pin 16 may rotate in either direction with the pulleyunit.

A casing 21 encloses the pulley unit above referred to and is preferablysecured to the base plate 24 as shown by the ears 240.. In order toprevent the shade material from rotating the roller by virtue of theweight of the unwound portion of such material, means are provided forfrictionally resisting rotation of the roller in a direction to permitof unwinding of the shade. therefrom. Such means includes an annularflange 28 on the inner end of the cup-shaped shell 22 and occupying thespace between the pulley flange 20 and the inner surface of the baseplate 24. Annular flange 28 is about an annular flange or shoulder 29 onthe base plate 24.

Within the casing 21 and between the barrel '55 portion thereof and theflange 28 of the cupshaped shell 22 is a metal block 30 provided with alug 3| entering a notch in the casing to hold the block in position.Block 30 l1as an upwardly expanding tapered recess 32 between the flange28 and the inclined wall 33 of the block. A friction or wedging roller34 is located in this recess, and the wall 35 of the recess is solocated as to hold the roller 34 in the proper position to apply to thepulley, and thus to the shade roller ID, the right or desired frictionwhereby to have the shade H supported in any position to which it may beadjusted, but this wall 35 prevents the roller from moving downwardlysufficiently to carry it to a position where it would lock the pulleyagainst rotation.

The wall 33 of the block 30 is slightly tapered whereby its lower end iscloser to the flange 28 than is its upper end. Therefore as the wedgingor friction roller 34 moves into the lower portion of the recess theroller is brought against the flange 28 to apply the proper frictionthereto for the purpose set forth. On movement of the shade roller Iiiin a direction to Wind the shade about such shade roller the pulleyflange 28 moves in the direction indicated by the arrow 36 in Fig. 6 andcarries the wedging or friction roller 34 upwardly in the recess 32relieving the frictional pressure on the flange 28 and permitting freerotation of the roller in this direction.

A cord 31 has its upper end secured to the pulley flange 2| as by a knot38. With the described arrangement it will be apparent that as the shadeII is drawn downwardly or off the roller Ill the latter will berotatedand will cause rotation of the pulley unit above described. Unwinding ofthe shade will cause the pulley unit to rotate in the directionindicated by the arrow 39 in Fig. 4. The pulley rotating as describedwill cause the cord 31 to be wound about the pulley. Thereafter when itis desired to raise the shade the cord is pulled or drawn downwardlywith the result that it causes the pulley to rotate in' the direction ofthe arrow 36 of Fig. 6 whereby the shade is Wound onto the roller I0.

While the pulley is rotating in the direction of the'arrow 39 (Fig. 4)there is a tendency for the pulley flange 8 to carry the 'Wedging roller34 downwardly in the recess 32 whereby to have the roller crowdedagainst the flange and impart a friction to the pulley. This frictionserves to keep vthe shade in any position of adjustment and unwound andis not desired when the shade is being rewound on the roller 10.

With the described construction as the cord 3 is pulled and the pulleyrotates in the direction of the arrow 36 (Fig. 6) the pulley flange 28is moving up wardly and tends to carry the friction roller 34 with it.Thus the roller is moved upwardly sli htly away from its lowermostposition as to the position of Fig. 6 and no longer presses against thepulley flange 28 to resist its rotation. Therefore the shade is easilyrewound on the roller [0 when desired. The upper arm 43 of the block 38will prevent any such upward movement of friction roller 34 as wouldcarry the roller out of the recess 32. 1

It will be aparent that as the roller 34 thrusts against the pulleyflange 28 the latter is forced against the shoulder 29 of the base plate24. The disc or roller 34 being circular has only a line contact withthe flange 28. If it is desired to increase the frictional action of theflange 28 on the shoulder 29 the latter may be cut away or reduced as at4| so as to provide two spaced contact points 42 and 43 engaged by theflange 28 when the latter is forced toward the shoulder 29 by the actionof the friction roller 34. Therefore instead of the flange 28 havingonly asingle line contact with the shoulder 29 it has contact with suchshoulder at the two points 42 and 43 and therefore exerts a considerablepressure thereon. The greater the distance between the points 42 and 43,as long as such distance is less than the inside diameter of the flange28, the greater will friction isapplied to the latter and such frictioncontinues while the shade is down whereby there will be no casualunwinding of the shade due to the weight of its unwound portion.However, when the cord 3! is pulled to rewind the shade the friction isautomatically relieved so that the operator does not have to overcomethe friction in addition to the weight of the unwound portions of theshade when rewinding the latter.

Attention is particularly direc'ted'to the fact that the frictioningmeans of the invention does not involve any spring means acting on thewedging or friction roller 34, but only the solid block 38 keeping theroller in place and cooperating with it to have it forced against thepulley flange 28 at the proper times to give the desired frictionalaction. Thus there are no parts to break or become useless because ofrepeated flexing or the like.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a shade roller fixture of the character described, a stationarybase plate including a hub, a pulley adapted to be'connected with ashade roller and rotatable on said hub, a flexible hand pull on saidpulley, a casing enclosing said pulley, a block mounted on said casingand having a recess provided with an open side facing a part of saidpulley, a wedging roller in said recess, said recess having a slightlyinclined wall opposite said open side whereby as the pulley rotates inone direction said roller is caused to engage against the pulley tofriction it and as the pulley rotates in the opposite direction suchfrictional engagement is released, and the end wall at the narrower endof the recess being more steeply inclined to form a limit stop for thewedgingroller to prevent its locking the pulley against turning.

cess having a slightly inclined wall opposite said open side whereby asthe pulley rotates in one direction to unwind a shade on the shaderoller said friction roller is caused to engage against the pulley andfriction the same and as the pulley is rotated in the oppsite directionunder action of the hand pull such frictional engagement is released,and stop means at the narrower end of said recess to limit movement of.the Wedging roller and prevent its locking the pulley against movement.

3. In a shade roller fixture of the character described, a casing havinga notch, a pulley adapted to be connected with a shade roller androtatable in said casing and having a laterally projecting annularflange, a separate block having a lug entering said notch to hold theblock fixed, said block having a wall inclining toward said flange, awedging roller between said wall and said flange to cooperate with theinclined wall to resist turning of the flange, and means to limitmovement of the roller to prevent locking of the flange against turning.

4. In a shade roller fixture of the character described, a base plate, apulley rotatable on said base plate and having a laterally projectingannular flange, said pulley adapted to be connected with a shade roller,a fixed rigid block having a wall inclining toward said flange, awedging roller between said wall and said flange to cooperate therewithto resist turning of the pulley in one direction, a flexible hand pullconnected with the pulley to turn it in the opposite direc-- tion, andmeans limiting movement of said roller along said wall in a direction towedge against said flange to prevent locking of the pulley againstturning.

5. In a shade roller fixture of the character described, a base plate, apulley adapted to be connected with a shade roller and rotatable on saidplate, a fixed rigid block having a wall inclining toward a, portion ofsaid pulley, a wedging roller between said wall and said portion of thepulley to cooperate therewith to frictionally resist turning of thepulley in one direction, a flexible hand pull connected with the pulleyto turn it in the opposite direction, and said block including anintegral part at the end of said wall nearest to the pulley to limitmovement of the roller in the direction to cause the roller to wedgeagainst the pulley and positioned to prevent the roller moving farenough to lock the pulley against turning.

6. In a shade roller fixture of the character described, a base plate, apulley adapted to be connected with a shade roller and rotatable on saidplate, a fixed rigid block having a wall inclining toward a portion ofsaid pulley, a Wedging roller between said wall and said portion of thepulley to cooperate therewith to resist turning of, the pulley in onedirection, a flexible hand pull for turning the pulley in the oppositedirection, and said block including integral portions at each end ofsaid wall and limiting movement of the roller therealong, said limitingportion at the end nearest the pulley being positioned to prevent theroller from looking the pulley against movement.

7. In a shade roller fixture of the character described, a base plate, apulley adapted to be connected with a shade roller and rotatable on,said base, a. fixed rigid block having a wall inclining toward saidpulley, a. wedging device movable between said wall and the pulley toengage the latter and friction the same as it is rotated in onedirection, means to limit the Wedging action of said device to preventits locking the pulley against turning, and a flexible hand pull forturning the pulley in the opposite direction.

WILLIAM F. SMITH.

